davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
Superstition in ireland.

Recently the writer was informed by a
native of Ireland, and who had been reared
in County Donegal, that there is a small
lake called Lake Derg, perhaps mile or less
in diameter. That in the lake at some dis
lance from shore is Catholic church which
can only be reached by a skiff or other con-
veyance by water. During the months of
July and August one or more priests remain
at this island church and parties come from
all parts of the world nearly to this place.
Coming in sight these devotses doff hat and
shoes until they reach the shore in the most
devout manner. They are ferried over by
persons who are stationed there for that pur-
pose, and after due penance are brought
back and leave for their homes. 1t is said
that for certain offenses these visitors are
required to go several times around the
church upon their bare knees ON a gravel
walk surrounding it. This lake is in deep
ravine surrounded by high hills, and the
country about it is sparsely settled. AT one
side of the lake is an outlet where the river
Derg rises. The lake is supposed to be so
consecrated that fish cannot survive in it.
And if one is put into the opposite side from
the outlet, starting at the same time with a
skiff, the fish would reach the outlet before
the boat and be in the net set for it when
the boat reaches the point.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
STATISTICS OF 1887.

The Register for 1888, gives valua-
BILE table of statistical recapitulation
of the progress of our church during
the last year. 1t sums up as follows !:
Apparent gain, 43 parishes; 900 fam
lilies; 35 church organizations, 2,257
church members % Sunday Schools;
1,OS3 members of Sunday-schools; 7
church edifices, and S97 1923 in valua-
ton of church property. 1t adds !:
POSSIBLY some of these gains extend
over several years, as reports have been
received for the above statements from
several localities which have made no
report for many years." We may add,
however, that these are legitimate sta
tistics for 'S7, as they now first appear
in tabulated form, and are in good
shape for the attention of Rev. p. H.
Swift, of Rockford, or any other person
interested in circulating unfriendly
statistics in relation to our church.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
PERSONAL.
surnise

Hon. Lewis E. Payson, a Lombard
student in the COS, again represents an
Illinois District in the Fiftieth Congress
On a recent Sunday Rev. Mr.. Spafford
of Racine, Wis, was i'll and unable to
occupy his pulpit, and so Mrs. Spafford
occupied it for him. reading a sermon
and conducting the other services to very
great acceptance.
Rev. DIR. Ryder, on Wednesday last,
conducted the funeral services of the late
Hon. 8. p Rounds, of the Omaha Repub.
lican, who died recently in that city
and whose remains were brought to Chi.
cago for interment.
Rev. w. 8. Ralph, of Sycamore, recent
ly lectured in the college chapel at Lom-
bard University on the subject. "What
Are we Living For?" Securing rapt at
tention from his audience and receiving
hearty round OF applause at the close.
The members of the travelling party in
Europe in the summer of '86 that accom-.
panied DIR. Hanson ON the Continent,
have rendered him and his daughter a
reception to take place at the Palmer
House Wednesday evening, Jan. A, 1888.
This We may call reunion of the "Han-
sou and Thomas combination" so styled
by DIR. Thomas, in his correspondence
with the Chicago Tribune. A banquet,
speeches and general rehearsal of Eu-
ropean experiences will be in order on
the occasion.
Mrs. Caroline, of the Church OF Our
Father, did so much for the recent fair
that, to show their appreciation of her ef-
forts, the members of the church present
ed her with a mRhl-stick exceedingly
valuable as a curiosity. 1t is made
of pieces of wood taken from "1he
Pilot" the first ship that came to this
country after the "Mayhower," from
the Charter Oak at Hartford; from Fort
Dearborn; from Fort Armstrong; from
Ellsworth Flagstaff; some leopard wood
and some black oak. The presentation
was made by Mr.. Knapp.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
DIR. REXFORD ON THEIsM.

We noted the fact fortnight ago,
that Rev. DR.. Rexford, of Detroit at
tended the Unitarian Conference at
Jackson, on an invitation to expcund
the belief Of Universalists before that
body. We have no report of his ad-
dress touching the distinctive beliefs
of Universalists, but the following was
what he said on the idea of Coda
very profitable utterance as bearing
upon the Unitarian detection from the
theistic platform, as evinced in recent
action of the Western Conference. DR..
Rexford, of course, made no reference
to that unfortunate position, but his
strong words in b9half of theism were
to the point nevertheless. He re-
marked substantially as follows:
The present time is of all the times
OF history the most unfortunate for the
rejection of the idea of God. The world
to day is prepared to make far nobler
nse of that conception than it has ever
been prepared to make before. We
have learned how to use it for the en-
nobling, rather than the destruction of
mankind. We say that a theist is m ore
fortunate than the atheist, and, Jour plea
is more potent to-day than ever before.
The strength of this claim in behalf of
theism is in the fact that a man who
believes in God strengthens thereby all
his moral convictions touching mercy
and love and justice. Heretofore the
popular idea of God has been such that
an average mortal must needs descend
many steps from the normal level of
human justice and love, to touch the
dark thought of these qualities as seen
in God. Gods justice has been inferior
to human justice, and in so far as a
man must descend from the level of
human virtue to approach the divine,
he is so far injured by his theism.
But now when we look upward and
not downward to see God, why should
we not cling to that faith more tena-
ciously than ever? If the world has
chung to Him in spite of the horrors as.
ISOLATED with his name, shall we not
the more firmly cleave to him, now that
he appears as the one Supreme excel
lence of all the EARTH? 1t is the poor
est time in all history for the atheistic
mood. We talk of radical men and
radical churches. But he is not rad
ical who rejects the idea of God. That
is not radical church that turns away
from this conception, for the very idea
of God is the most radical idea that any
man can entertain. 1t is the root of
all living ideas. Atheism is superficial
-plucked up from the all-nourishing
soil and it dies for want of nourish-
ment. 1t is writ in nature that it
must perish as it always has and al
ways will. 1t is the pre-eminent hour
for the great and unqualified affirma-
ton of theism."
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
DEATH OF DIR. W. s. BALOH.

On Christmas day, about noon, at
Elgin, ILL.,, Rev. WILLIAM STEVENS
BALCH ended his long and useful earthly
pilgrimage, and obeyed the summons
of the Father calling him home.
The event was unexpected to the
general public. Only a few of his most
intimate friends knew last week that
the fatal illness had seized him. We
are yet without particulars, but infer
that his death was caused by the COM
plicated nature of the troubles from
which he had suffered in former years.
DR.. Balch descends to the grave in
the impressive figure of the Scriptures,
las a shock of corn fully ripe" Born
in Andover, VT, April 10, 1906, he
was in his eighty-second year at the
time of his death. His history is in
dissolubly connected with that of Uni
versalism in the New England, the
Middle and the Western States. Wher-
ever Universalism is known as an Or
ganized body of Christian believers,
William S. Balch was known. Intelli-
gence of his death will find mourners
all over our Zion. He was highly hon
ored for his steadfast adherence to the
principles of our faith as a minister for
over sixty years. And we may add
that the man was also widely esteemed
for solid and attractive qualities, which
linked many friends to him as with
hooks of steel. In Providence, New
York and the several places in the West
where he filed pastorates, he made en-
thusiastic friends. Many of these friends
have passed on before him; but they
have been replaced by many others
made in the later years Of his prolonged
ministry. He now leaves these earthly
scenes in which he was so conspicuous
figure, even in venerable old age;
and there are many outside large and
devoted family circle, who will mourn
his departure.
We have only just room for the brief
announcement of this marked bereave-
ment of our Zion. Our issue OF next
week will pay full tribute to the old
hero of the cross, summoned home
amid the festivities of the Sunday
Christmas. We are informed by note
from the Elgin committee that the
funeral will take place at Elgin on
Wednesday at O'Clock, P. NJ, from the
house, with public services at the First
Baptist Church, at 1:30. Doubtless,
there will be large attendance, not
only from Elgin and vicinity, but from
Chicago and the parishes in this neigh
borhood.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
CONCERNING SATAN.

The Independent of December 1st,
under its usual head biblical Re-
search" notices an opinion concerning
the Satan of the Bible and the Ahri-
man of the Zend Avesta. The ''opin-
ion" which is considered is one lately
given by Monsieur M. G. de Harlez, :"
whoever that may be. A coincidence
between the Persian and Jewish con-
captions Of the evil spirit, has raised
among scholars the question whether
one was not derived from the other,
that is, whether the Jews did not get
their idea of Satan originally from con-
tact with the Persian religion. Mon
sieur de Harlez thinks not. He thinks
not for the reason that he analyses "the
essential characteristics of the two in
fernal chiefs,'' and finds them not iden-
tical, but contradictory. He uses, for
purposes of proof, the Satan of the book
of Job, because sit is there he finds the
greatest diversity" "The Satan of the
book of Job," says the professor, SIS
restricted within the limits traced By the
tCiH of the Almighty" The italics are
his own. Eager to work ill to men, yet
he dare not put his sinister designs into
execution, except as God permits him."
Working within Gods limitations, he
is unable to resist Gods reparation of
the evil he does" "He becomes in re-
atty but an unwilling promoter of the
divine glory" Now we submit to the
Independent whether this is really the
straight orthodox view of the devil.
Do the orthodox creeds teach that the
devil sis unable to resist Gods repara-
ton of the evil he does ?" This is
manifest by the conception of the book
OF Job, but is it the conception of the
orthodox church Do the creeds teach,
and does the church believe that the
devil is even san unwilling promoter of
the divine glory'' in the sense in which
the book of Job proves him to be
There seems to us to be wide discrep-
ancy here. Granted that such is the
Jewish conception of Satan, is it the
conception of the popular orthodox
teaching2 Certainly it is not.
The article in question goes on to
say that in the Persian religion, "God
is not the all-powerful master who lin
it's the demon unclaimed but he is a
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
THE RELIGIOUS WORLD.
Priests and Public Schools.

The attempt of Catholic priest in Pitts
burg, remarks the Tribune of this city, to
divert one of the public schools there from
its legitimate educational purposes and give
it secta ian character has failed. His ap-
pointment to the position of teacher aroused
great indignat on at the outset. which was
still further increased by his attempt to en-
ploy sisters from convent az his assistants
and run the school, supported by public
taxes, in sectarian manner. Public feel
ing at last ran so high that the church au-
thorities became alarmed at his high-handed
measures and intimated to him the neces-
sity of his resignation. He thereupon re-
signed. His course was an open and defiant
violation of the laws of the State, which for
bid the support of sectarian schools out of
the public treasury. Probably he has learned
a useful lesson by this time and will cease
his efforts to run the public schools in the
interests of his church.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
The English Cathedral Service.

At recent morning service in the cathe-
dral at Canterbury, England, the congrega-
ton consisted of one person. On another
occasion the congregation consisted of four
persons. These facts have excited a great
deal of comment adverse to the Established
(Episcopal) Church. 1t is pointed out by
the Radical papers that at ached to the
cathedral are dean with $4,000 year and
a palace, six canons at $1,000 a year each
and four minor canons at 81, 500 year each,
and number of preachers who are paid by
the sermon, besides precentors, choristsrs,
and OF ler officials. The total cost of main
tanning the cathedral as place of public
worship is about $4,000 per annum, or at
the rate of over 5000 per day. The Radical
papers would like to know if the salvation
of a solitary worshiper for one day is worth
$500 and whether it is not time to disestab-
fish and disendow the Church of England
when congregations of one are of daily
occurrence in one of the principal cathedrals
of the Established Church.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
OUR AGENT IN OHIO.

Mr.. s. 3. WILLIAMS, the Field Agent
of The UNIvERsALIsT, will begin the new
year in Ohio canvassing for the paper
and the books of the House.
We commend Br. Williams and his
mission to our friends in that State. He
will be found popular canvasser and a
good friend of our cause. He will make
a close canvass of all our parishes, and
aim to place the paper in all OF our
homes. We look for a large accession to
our list from his labors. Let the friends
rally to his support and give us largely
increased patronage for 1888.
Mr.. Williams has just closed a very
successful canvass of Michigan. He has
had good help from many good friends
with excellent results. Let the same Co
operation be extended to him in Ohio
and the year 'SS will be one Of marked
prosperity for The UNIvERsALIsT and
the Western Branch.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
TEN PLAIN QUESTIONS"

With this title the Publishing House
just issued four-page LeaAet prepared
by Rev. G. l.. Perrin. 1t was printed in
full in our columns last week. A sample
copy will be sent free to all applicants.
1t will be sold, postage paid, at the fol-
lowing prices: Less than one hundred,
half cent each; one hundred and less
than one thousand copies at forty cents
hundred; three dollars and fifty cents a
thousand copies. 1t ought to have a
large circulation, for it is a unique and
valuable tract. For sale at the Western
Branch.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
THE LESSON OF THE OLD YEAR.

The one season of the year when the
mind irresistibly falls into the train Of
retrospection, is the years end. In the
spring we are inspired by hope; in the
summer the fulness of the present
seems sufficient; autumn brings that
pensive melancholy
"That resembles sorrow. only as the mist re-
sembles the rain;"
the years beginning finds us full of
resolution but the last days of the
closing year, after the festivities of
Christmas have come and gone, send
our thoughts toward the past. Oar
song then becomes
Backward, turn backward. Oh, time in thy
flight -
and fortunate, indeed, are we if we do
not see along the path that leads to the
past promises broken, hopes shattered,
and sad burrows thrown up by the plow-
share of death over the loved and lost.
We shall soon stand beyond the old
year, and across the threshold of the
new. We shall then make ample reso-
lutions for the future. We shall vail
antly resolve on amendment, improve
ment. Seeing past failure, and deplor-
ing past neglects and missteps, = sins
of omission and sins of commission
raoIi1ipn tho diffarapoa INafuoa,, xrLoA
we would be and what we might be,
and what we know we shall try to be
with the advent Of the New Year, and
what, at the close of next year we shall
wish we had been,-is there another
page in the twelve-volums book of the
year on which we so plainly read, and
so solemnly repeat, the refrain,
"Of all sad words of tongue and pen,
The saddest are these: 1t might have been?"
How full is life of -beens,
each one a lost opportunity! AS we
look backward now, we recall many of
them, and in whatever respect we are
not what we ought to be, and wish we
were, that condition is the funded re-
suit of neglected privileges, wasted OPP
portunities.
One of the most unique of the pro-
auctions of the German Richter,-af-
fectionately called by his countrymen
Jean Paul the only-is a dream of an
unhappy man on the last night of the
year-New Years Eve. He was an
old man of three-score years and ten,
on the verge of the grave, at the end of
an ill-spent and wasted life. He looked
back on duties neglected, errors and
vices, and on long career of sin and
shame. He remembered how exalted
were the ambitions, how noble the as
pirations with which he had begun his
long journey, and how far short of what
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 81. 1887.

THE Advance comes at last to the front
with its promised expression of approval
and sympathy for the foreign mission
work among Universalists. Itremarks
that THE UNIvERsALIsT is uncharita-
BILE in the thought lately expressed that
1.-THE orthodox churches would like to
see our church in a hole, and the
hole pulled in after us" and adds: "Oh,
no; exactly the other way The I'D
vonce is only watching hopefully to see
if, after all the talk about foreign mis-
. sions it is going to amount to some
thing in fact, as we believe it will"
We trust that the expectation of the
Advance will be justified by the facts at
an early day.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
New Missionary Movement in Germany.

Orthodox Christians will watch with in
terest and perhaps alarm the new missionary
movement in Germany. So-called advanced
theo!ogians have well-organized society,
whose object is to make use of the elements
of culture and morality that are found in
educated heather nat 'ons, and on this basis
build up a Christian cultare according to ad-
vanced ideas. This society thinks that the
old methods fail in that they do not interest
the thinkers among educated non-C Christian
people. 1t has 1850 members in Switzer-
land and Germany and has few men at
work in Japan and China.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

WILL not the pastors assist the Con-
vention in gathering list of the names
of scattered Universalists? If there
be no pastor in section of the State
where there are Universalists, will not
some layman or some of our good
women, who are interested in Univer-
salism, gather the names and forward
them to the secretary, Rev. G. S. Nick
erson, SIG Cleveland avenue, Chicago :?
A Convention church is being organ
lied, into the fellowship of which it is
desired to bring these scattered people
and thus organically connect them with
the active Universalist church. Push
the work all along the line.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

ATTENTION is called to the following
resolution adopted at the Illinois State
Convention at Peoria in September:
That the State Superintendent be in
strdcted to prepare list of the Universal
list families in the State, who are located
at points where we have no church, and
report the same to the Secretary, who
shall enter their names on the records OF
the Convention. That the Secretary be
instructed to mail to each annually no
tice of the meeting of the Convention,
with request for a contribution to its
funds, and report the names and contri-
buttons to the Convention. That our
settled pastors be requested to aid the
Superintendent in this work, and to
gather as many of these scattered be-
levers into their respective churches as
possible.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

need not be considered as accepting
every part. But confess 1 don't like to
be in such a position. A friend upon
union with the church, had a copy of the
Confession placed in his hand; it was a
great hindrance in his Christian life.
Let us have Confession OF what we
believe in this day; not what the West
minister divines believed.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

IN this connection we may note that
there was Significance in the item
printed last week in the church news
from Rochester, MINI. One of the
departments in a recent fair held in
that city, was devoted to Japan, and
the proceeds are announced for the
Japanese mission, when it is inaugu-
rated under the auspices of our church.
That is an example of the way in which
the foreign mission movement will rally
to its support those who believe in the
practicability of the enterprise, and
who wish to be numbered among its
helpers.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

PROBES soR MONSTER has been re-
buked by Mr.. D. p. HUBBARD in the cur
rent number of the entertaining Maya
zine Of american History. The Pro
lessor mentions the treadmill as an ex-
treme symbol of our barbarious penal
system hundred years ago; and Mr..
HUBBARD proceeds to point out that
the tresdmill was not invented until 1917
or Is and wa, not introduced in this
country until 1922
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

A Young Peoples Missionary Associa-
ton was organized on Dec, IA, by our
parish in this city of which Rev. L. "a.
Squires is pastor. Many members have
been enrolled and the outlook is full of
surmise
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31
g. g. gr. q.
0tranto, Iowa.

In the church news from Otranto on
the next page, there is reference to
an Association of young people organic
ed in that parish, last week. The fact is
not stated but we infer that the organic
alton is that of this Association.
The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-31

j. S. CANTWELL, D. D., Editor.
Southern ladies' journal. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1886-18??, 1887-07-02

about It. All, well it was not my ex-
travagance. And here are my gloves.
See how many [ have left. There are
six Of these long white, and six of cream
color. They were sent me from Paris
And here are the gloves of all-look,
husband-my wedding gloves! Only
one finger is a little marked on the glove,
drawn for my ring, Dear long gloves.
I'll put them away so carefully. Only
on some grand occasion, when I wish to
look my very best, will I wear these
gloves-when | wish to ensure the high
est respect Of my husband" she said,
looking up at me laughing.
"From what you say, one would
imagine that you were going to with
draw from the world and wear serge
robe" [ answered.
ONO! Sometimes am going to dress
at home. I'm coming out to tea with
my diamonds and some handsome lace
upon my dress, that you may not forget,
in your practical life, the delicacy and
beauty there is stillin the world"
III bo nn41ti,1,,od
Southern ladies' journal. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1886-18??, 1887-07-02

"Chantilly lace is not always black"
are words which every woman who as
pires to seeming wise as to lace should
remember Real Chantilly is simply
black Brussels, and its cost is something
to make buyer perfectly conscious Of
what it is. Imitation Chantilly is almost
any black lace that is not Spanish, if the
shopkeepers may be trusted. They use
the name for edgings and web laces re-
sembling dyed Mechlin and dyed
DuchesSe, and also for nondescript
things with point stitches introduced
here and there.